


Out of All 10,000

by Youwillfindmedreaming



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-02-17 06:20:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13070916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Youwillfindmedreaming/pseuds/Youwillfindmedreaming
Summary: On average, an individual has 10,000 potential life partners, out of each set of 10,000 it falls to the individual to select and decide who they wish to spend the rest of their life with. Statistically, not everyone crosses paths with one of the 10,000 possibilities, and will often make a life altering decision without being fully aware if the person they have chosen belongs in the set of 10,000 individuals. Prior to joining the BAU, SSA Dr Rosalyn Montgomery had made herself known within the FBI due to her intellect and skills, in and out of the field. Upon joining the BAU, tensions begin to rise as the BAU's resident genius is faced with someone who appears to be on par with the his unique intellect.





	1. Prologue

Emily’s hand slid over the cover of the manila folder that rested in the middle of her desk. Flipping the folder open, she was met with the youthful face of the BAU’s newest recruit, her qualifications and impressive skill set spilled from one page onto the next, making her an obvious candidate from the moment her folder was sent to the BAU. A knock drew her attention away from the folder towards JJ, who pushed herself up from the door frame and ventured into Emily’s office, taking a seat directly across from the dark-haired woman. 

“Thought you would’ve gone home by now.” Emily’s voice broke the silence that had settled over her office hours before.

“I was just about to head out, but then I noticed your light was on,” JJ spoke softly, leaning forward in her seat. “What’s going on in that head of your’s Em?”

 Silence settled over the pair as Emily slid the folder across her desk towards JJ. Her eyes stayed trained on the fair-haired woman as JJ’s eyes scanned the impressive resume of their new agent.

“She’s 27, has 6 PhDs, is fluent in 6 languages, graduated top of her class, worked in the UC department for the past 7 years, and in the legal department 2 years prior and, the icing on the cake, she has an IQ of 198?” JJ’s voice held a tone of disbelief as she scanned the pages of the file once again. “She seems like she’ll be great fit Em, so what’s wrong?”

Taking a deep breath Emily reached for the file, giving another once-over before closing it and placing it to the side.

 “To be entirely honest JJ, I know I shouldn’t have any worries, but what if we lose another agent? And what if it is her, I couldn’t bear knowing that I caused it.”

 “Emily, she’s a tough kid, you know that better than anyone, especially after what Aaron said about her.” JJ’s hand rested on top of Emily’s, providing some form of calming effect for the Unit Chief. “Though, I would be careful when breaking the news of her skill set and qualifications to the team, because I can think of one genius who mightn’t be so fond to have the intellectual competition.”

A small smile spread across the dark-haired woman’s face. JJ, taking it as her cue to depart, closed the door to the BAU Unit Chief’s office, pulling her bag further onto her shoulder and preparing herself for the cool temperature that Virginia had waiting for her once she left the confines of the FBI HQ.


	2. When We First Met

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prior to this chapter commencing, I'd like to say a huge thank you for the response and patience that has come with me writing the new addition to this work. I honestly didn't expect such a wonderful response to an idea that I have been playing around with for a while, and I hope the second chapter continues to fulfill your expectations.
> 
> Now, without further ado, please enjoy the newest chapter of 'Out of All 10,000'. xoxo

_ ‘We don’t know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don’t always appreciate their fragility.’ _

_ -Malcolm Gladwell _

Her hands ran repeatedly over the black wool blend fabric of her coat, brushing off the flecks of snow that had stuck to her coat during her run from the car to the doors to the of the FBI Headquarters. Sidestepping through clusters of FBI agents and trainees, she reached the elevator, taking a moment to calm her breathing that had grown erratic with anticipation and increasing nerves. A small chime filled the space around her, the silver doors sliding open, revealing the elevator’s small metallic interior. 

 

Her fingers fiddled with the gold buttons that rested on her black double-breasted coat, twisting each button ever so slightly, so they were all the right way up. Her gaze darted back and forth from her shoes to the illuminated numbers that lit up with each passing floor. The elevator slowed to a complete stop, the number 6 stayed illuminated as the silver doors slid open with an accompanying chime. Pulling the straps of her go bad and satchel further onto her shoulder, she began tentative steps towards the glass doors that separated the chaos and horrors of the BAU from the remainder of the sixth floor and the rest of Quantico. Her boot heels hit the ground in quick succession as she neared the glass doors, taking a few more deep breaths to calm her erratic breathing before pulling the doors open. 

 

Her gaze darted all over the room, taking in every little detail, things that seem familiar from a visit many years prior and things that had definitely changed. Each desk in the bullpen had a plethora of manilla files residing on their brown wooden surfaces. Each folder containing paperwork yet to be completed or reviewed from previous cases. A collection people were huddled around one of the multiple desks within the bullpen, the laughter emanating from the small group reverberated throughout the room. Quickly diverting her gaze from the group, she quickly scaled the few steps that led her towards the office of the BAU’s Unit Chief.

 

Raising her hand, she delivered a quick series of knocks on the office door. The sound of files shuffling and a chair creaking followed, giving her an unspoken signal that it was okay for her to open the office door. The dark haired woman, with her gaze trained on the young woman, pushed herself away from her desk, standing to her full height. Her gaze shifted around the room, taking in the lack of personal photos and memorabilia that traditionally lined the walls and surfaces of most FBI agents, serving as an anchor to the fragile but intact aspects of an agent’s life. The older woman came to a standstill in front of her, pulling her gaze from her surroundings, towards the outstretched hand that was held midair, awaiting a response.

 

“You must be Rosalyn Montgomery. I’m Emily Prentiss, the Unit Chief of the BAU.” Emily inquiring voice broke the silence that had settled over the small office. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally be able to make your acquaintance. Aaron spoke very highly of you.”

 

“Please, call me Rose, I much prefer that to Rosalyn.” The smile on her face grew and she grasped Emily’s outstretched hand, a firm handshake exchanged between the pair. “And I can’t express how grateful I am for the opportunity to work in this division.”

 

The conversation fell over the pair like they’d known each other for more than the few minutes that had been in each other’s presence. Rose felt herself beginning to relax, her breathing slowing to a reasonable pace, allowing her to focus on the mannerisms of the woman in front of her, and the unfamiliar surroundings of her office and the BAU headquarters.

 

“Now, I’ve already confirmed your transfer, but I’d like to know a couple of things before I throw you in the deep end and let you meet the rest of the team.” Emily flipped open the file that she’d had resting on her desk for the past month during applicant deliberations. “Why did you join the FBI?”

 

Looking down, Rose wrung her hands together, contemplating the best possible way to answer the deceivingly simple question that had been delivered.

 

“Having graduated so young, and having spent the majority of my teen years working towards various degrees, when the time came for me to actually decided which path I wanted to pursue, I wasn’t certain of where I wanted to go.” Taking a deep breath, she looked up, her blue eyes locking onto Emily’s brown eyes. “I knew I had a passion for law, and by chance, I crossed paths with Aaron, who opened the door to the FBI’s legal department to me, and after a while, I wanted to pursue more, so I underwent training and became an agent.”

 

“I can understand why Aaron early took you under his wing.” Closing the young woman’s file Emily leaned further towards her newest recruit. “Why the BAU?”

 

“I want to provide people with hope, even in their darkest hour, it is the least they deserve, and it’s part of this job to ensure that we try our hardest to do so.” Rose shifted further forward on the chair, maintaining eye contact with Emily all the while. “I know it’s going to be hard, and at times I know I will question why we even try because it will seem futile, but I also know that there are going to be cases where we catch the bad guy and save the victim before any harm is bestowed on more people, and it is the small glimmers of hope like that, that make it all worth it.”

***

The opening of Emily’s office door placed an instant hush to the conversation and laughter that had been floating throughout the bullpen. With multiple eyes trained on the entrance to her office, anticipation began to build within the confines of the BAU Headquarters. Emily was the first to exit, a smile etched on her face, causing her eyes to crinkle around the edges, and the conversation between her and the stranger flowed seamlessly. The stranger followed shortly after, her golden wavy tendrils of hair shifted around her face as she threw her head back in laughter at a comment Emily had made.

 

The silence that had settled over the bullpen was growing increasingly more obvious, drawing Emily and the young woman’s attention away from their conversation, towards the prying eyes of the seven other members of the BAU. Cocking an eyebrow, a small, amused smirk appeared on Emily’s face as she and her guest slowly descended the few steps, taking them towards the other members of the team.

 

“Everyone, I’m glad to have already secured your attention, this is the newest addition to the BAU, Rosalyn Montgomery.” Emily scanned the faces of her teammates, watching their reaction to the newest addition, as Rose gave a small wave towards the group. “Or, as she prefers, Rose Montgomery.”

 

“Oh! This is so incredibly exciting!” A blonde haired woman, dressed in her signature vibrant and quirky apparel, pushed her way through her colleagues, rushing forward to wrap her arms around Rose’s tall, slim frame. “Welcome to the family my sweet garden flower!”

 

Rose smiled shyly at the beaming woman, look to the group behind her with a questioning glance at the woman’s new nickname for her. 

 

“Garcia does that from time to time, you’ll get used to it.” A second blonde woman stepped forward, reaching out her hand, grasping Rose’s in a handshake. “I’m Jennifer Jareau, but they all call me JJ, so you can too.”

 

Smiling at her, Rose’s gaze diverted back to the group, where the five remaining members of the team stood, waiting for their turn in the introductions. JJ stood close to her, point out each of the remaining members. 

 

“That’s Dr. Tara Lewis, one of the more recent members of our ever-growing group of women, followed by Luke Alvez, he’s got a sharp wit so be careful, then we have Matt Simmons, the most recent addition before you arrived.” The smile could be heard in her voice as JJ introduced Rose to each member of the team, watching patiently as she greeted them with a handshake following their introduction. “That old man there is David Rossi, he’s an excellent agent and an even better host, and finally, our very own boy wonder, Dr. Spencer Reid.”

 

“I wouldn’t attempt to shake his hand.” Rose’s actions were halted as she began to reach her hand out towards Spencer, sending a questioning gaze towards Alvez, waiting for further elaboration. “He has a thing with germs.”

 

Nodding slightly, Rose’s hand closed into a fist, and once again extended her hand out towards him. Spencer, unsure of what to do, looked around at his teammates with an alarmed look in his eye. 

 

“A fist bump actually spreads fewer germs than a handshake or a high five,” Rose noted, picking up on his alarmed reaction.

 

“Out of all the interactions that could take place in an introductory circumstance, kissing ensures a decrease in the transfer of germs than any other interaction,” Spencer mumbled, meeting Rose’s fist with his own. “Though please note that I’m not suggesting anything by that, I should probably stop talking shouldn’t I?”

 

A small series of chuckles washed over the group, relaxing the nervous tension that had built due to the anticipation both Rose and her new teammates were feeling upon meeting each other. Emily, placing a hand on her shoulder, guided Rose towards her desk in the middle of the bullpen, whilst the joking conversation continued to swell throughout the room.

 

“So, Agent Montgomery, how’d you stumble across this career?” Rossi’s voice broke through the chuckles, pulling the attention back onto Rose.

 

“Agent Hotchner spoke highly of the BAU, so when the opportunity presented itself I thought I should see what he was so crazy about.” Rose shrugged her bags off her shoulder, placing down beside her desk, out of the way so no unsuspecting agent would collide with her satchel and go bag. “Sorry for the correction but it’s not Agent Montgomery, it’s actually Dr. Montgomery.”


	3. Second Thoughts

_‘Too often we underestimate the power of touch. A smile. A kind word. A listening ear. An honest compliment. Or the smallest act of caring. All of which have the potential to turn a life around.’_

_-Leo Buscaglia_

 

“Seriously, it’s not that big of a deal!” Rose let out an exasperated sigh as she moved around the break room. “Would you just drop it?”

 

“Not that big of a deal, you’re a freaking genius, who, as far as we know, has bested boy wonder at his own game!” Garcia rambled as she moved around the table to position herself closer to her new coworker. “And you graduated high school at the age of 10, that’s 2 years earlier than him!”

 

A look of bewilderment crossed her face as she poured the boiling water into her mug, soaking the tea bag. Placing the kettle on the counter, Rose moved towards Penelope, taking a place in the vacant seat beside her.

 

“Pen! How on earth do you know that?”

 

“If it’s public record, then I can find out about it.” Her dismissive reply elicited a lighthearted scoff from her new co-worker. “Just like how I could find out that you got engaged a year and a half ago, and then broke it off a few months ago, it really doesn’t take much to find public record information.”

 

“You, Penelope Garcia, are completely unbelievable!” Rose spoke through bewildered laughter, taking a sip of her tea once her laughter calmed down.

 

“What, I’ve got to know about new additions to the family.” A mischievous smile grew on her face as she took a sip her own drink. “So, pray tell, how does it feel to take the title of resident genius from our very own Dr. Reid?”

 

The door to the break room creaked open, bringing the conversation between the two women to an abrupt finish. Spencer’s head popped through the gap in the open door, pulling Garcia and Rose’s attention towards him.

 

“I know we were all supposed to finish up in an hour, but we’ve got a case.” He mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Rose, looking only at Garcia. “Emily’s ready to run through the case whenever you are.”

 

A tense smile was etched across his face as he disappeared from view, closing the door. Garcia stood, taking her mug and Rose’s in hand, placing them in the sink before turning towards Rose. Joking throwing her head back in exasperation, Rose pulled open the break room door, motioning for Garcia to exit, with her in tow.

 

“So close Pen, so, so close!”

 

***

 

Concerned looks were exchanged as details of the case were read over, each member of the BAU having a vastly different, yet somehow similar, reaction. The sound of files closing filed the room in unison, silence settling over the room, no one quite ready to begin commentary on the case. Emily rose out of her seat, flicking on the smart board as she walked around towards the head of the table, crime scene photos and digital copies of various files lit up the screen.

 

“So New York has called us in because a father, and I’m using that term very loosely, has been killing his offspring on their 20th birthday.” Emily began, flipping open the manila file she’d been reading prior.

“Which we only know because the latest victim, Genevieve Irving, fought back, catching some DNA which, upon further testing provided a paternal match.” Garcia followed, clicking the remote in her hand, allowing new images to appear on the screen. “And because we have a smart cookie up in the New York Field Office, the rest of the previous victims were tested and it was discovered that they were all children of the unsub. Though due to all the victims having two parental figures present, we are running on the assumption that our unsub was simply contributed an ingredient in the baby making process."

 

“So what was originally thought to be a connection between victims has become the reason they were targeted?” JJ joined the commentary. “How slim are those chances?”

 

The gazes from the team darted between Spencer and Rose, waiting for one of the two to make a move and answer the posed question.

 

“Well, around 70% of all donors agree to give up their right to anonymity, meaning if this man is within that 70%, give or take a few percentage points, the victims could’ve made contact with him.” Rose began to speak, settling the team’s gazes onto her. “However, if he is within the suggested 30%, then we have another problem to deal with”

 

“I don’t mean to step out of line here, because I’m certain you have some idea of what you’re talking about, but I’m pretty sure that, this 70%, is too large of an estimation,” Reid muttered under his breath, pulling an exasperated sigh and a glare from Rose. 

 

“This isn’t the 1970s Reid, there has been a massive increase in males who are open to the opportunity to meet their children if the children consent to a meeting.” Rose bit back, turning away from Reid back towards the screen in the process.

 

A brief stunned silence settled over the room, the team unsure of how to proceed, never having witnessed a member of the team be corrected by Reid, and then proceed to prove him wrong. Clearing her throat, Emily nodded towards Garcia, nodding at her to continue to relay the facts of the case to the team.

 

“Continuing on, with the number of victims now up to 8, we need to figure out how he got a hold of this information, and how to stop him before he moves onto the next one.” Garcia finished the relay of information, flicking the screen off and turning back towards the members of the BAU. “With a potentially endless number of potential victims waiting in a city as large as New York, we need to act fast, so crime fighters put a stop to him.”

 

“Once we get to New York, I want Reid and Montgomery to check in at the latest crime scene, JJ and Rossi, go to the morgue, Alvez and Simmons, go to the first crime scene, and Lewis, you’re with me at the field office.” Emily ran through assignments as she slung her go bag over her shoulder, collecting the pile of files in front of her to review on the jet. “Wheels up in 30.”

 

***

 

There is something that never seems to change at a crime scene, as if it is a universal thing, where perfectly preserved chaos and calm collide, suspending it in a state of perfect calamity. Crime scene units and police officers moved around the crime scene in complete silence, the only sound breaking the silence was the occasional echo of a camera shutter. Two pairs of blue latex gloves were placed in Spencer’s grasp, he pulled a pair on, before pulling Rose’s hands open and placing the remaining pair in her own. He watched as her blue-eyed gaze flickered towards him for a second, providing a silent _‘thank you’_ before her gaze flickered away.

 

“I’ve got to admit, it’s a peculiar location for someone displaying such high levels of organization,” Rose muttered, just loud enough for Reid to hear, crouching down to examine a piece of evidence. “Whilst the walkway is away from the view of street pedestrians, its high enough for anyone looking out of their window to view the murder, the chances of him getting caught were substantially high.”

 

“Not to mention that it’s a peak tourist spot, even at night,” Spencer muttered as he crouched down next to her, taking a look over her shoulder at the piece of evidence that had caught her attention. “On average around 5.5 thousand people visit The High Line on a daily basis, someone should’ve seen something.”

 

Standing to her full height, Rose pulled the blue gloves off, tucking them into her coat pocket. The freezing wind blew in gusts over the walkway, blowing her hair in front of her line of sight, blocking aspects of the crime scene from view. Running her hands through it, she grasped the hair elastic on her wrist, pulling her hair away from her face, her gaze darting back over the crime scene, falling on the small crowd that had gathered at the opposite end of the yellow tape.

“Reid.” Rose’s voice pulled his attention away from the evidence they had stumbled across, towards her. “I’m going to see if anyone in the crowd saw anything, for all we know they mighthave returned to be helpful.”

 

The sound of her heeled boots crunching along the snow drew the attention of the crowd towards her, frantic questions filling her ears as members of the crowd tried to understand what had unfolded in the area in front of them. Her hand slipped into her pocket pulling a pen and notepad out from her coat, her eyes scanning the crowd for anyone who would seem willing to assist her in the investigation. A man towards the back of the crowd caught her attention, his gaze was directed towards the ground, his hands were fidgeting, and he seemed to be avoiding any form of physical contact with anyone in the crowd.

 

“Excuse me, sir?” Rose’s voice grew louder as she pushed through the crowd, making her way towards the man. “Could I talk to you for a moment?”

 

He nodded his head so quickly she almost missed the small action. Pulling away from the crowd Rose gestured for him to follow her towards a more vacant area of the walkway, but still within view of the crime scene. His fidgeting only seemed to worsen once away from the crowd, putting Rose on edge due to the lack of eye contact she was able to make.

 

“I didn’t do it!” He suddenly blurted out, finally making eye contact with Rose, even though it was for a brief moment. “He was all over her though, so I yelled at him to stop and then I ran, I don’t know why I ran, but I did.”

 

“Did you see what he looked like?” Rose gently responded, jotting down each word the man had verbalized onto the pages of her notepad. “Do you think you could provide a description for me?”

 

An uneasy silence settled over Rose and the man, his fidgeting continued to become more aggressive and constant, his gaze failed to settle on one aspect of his surrounding environment. Rose broke her attentive stare for a moment, catching Spencer’s attention across the way, signaling quickly for him to move towards her.

 

“He looked like that man there.” Rose’s attention snapped back to the man she had been interviewing, following the line of sight he had made from his outstretched finger to another man, lurking at the back of the group. “He looks just like the man who attack that poor woman last night.”

 

A tight and nervous smiled etched its way onto Rose’s face, her right hand drifting towards the gun on her right hip, that was carefully hidden under her coat. Calling an attending officer over to monitor the man, she made brief eye contact with Spencer, as he neared the crowd, silently communicating her plan and who she was about to approach.

 

***

The sound of tense muttering filled Emily’s ears as she neared the pair, seated on the stairs at the entrance to the crime scene. Rose’s head was tilted forward, a bloodied tissue pressed to her nose, and an ice pack pressed to her forehead. Spencer sat a few steps down from her, his body positioned to be looking up at her from his perch below, their bickering conversation bouncing back and forth between the pair as Emily grew nearer.

 

“All I’m saying is you shouldn’t have approached him without me,” Spencer muttered, running his hand through his hair in frustration. “We could’ve secured him for questioning, but now the only lead we had has run off.”

 

“How was I supposed to know that he’d get physical as soon as I was within an arm's length.” Rose bit back, sending a glare towards him that sent a shiver down Emily’s spine. “And last I checked, when your partner yells for you to follow him, you follow him, you don’t wait for a medic to reach me first.”

 

Emily came to a stop in front of the bickering pair, an amused yet slightly unimpressed look crossed her face, putting the breaks on Reid and Montgomery’s bickering. Motioning with both her hand, Emily took a seat in between the pair, granting herself a moment to give Spencer a once over, ensuring he was okay, before turning her attention towards Rose’s injuries.

 

“It’s nothing Em, he had a rock that he used to stun me, hence the superficial would on my forehead, and then he punched me in the nose, which isn’t broken, just bleeding profusely,” Rose mumbled, taking the ice pack from her head for a brief moment, using her free hand to grab yet another tissue for her nose. “If that was the unsub then he is obviously saving his aggression for his victims.”

 

A tense silence settled over their location on the stairs, a look of concern etched on Spencer’s face, but his gaze diverted every time Rose’s flickered in his direction. Emily’s hand took Rose’s place on the ice pack, giving her arm a break, and letting her put more pressure on her nose.

 

“Once the bleeding subsides we’ll head back to the field office, before we go to the hotel for the night,” Emily spoke, both Spencer and Rose raising their heads to look at their unit chief. “And rooms have already been decided by those who got back to the field office early, Rossi and I have our own rooms, JJ and Tara are sharing, as are Alvez and Simmons, and as are you two.”

 

***

"You have got to be kidding me," Rose muttered under her breath, a look of disbelief flashing across her face. "You have got to be kidding me right now."

 

"What is it?" Spencer's voice could be heard as he neared the door to their shared hotel room. "Are you going to go inside or are we planning to stand out here all night?"

 

"Reid, go check if Rossi or Prentiss have more than one bed in their room." Rose turned towards him, the door to their hotel room hitting her go bag, preventing it from shutting completely. "And please stop with the questions, my head hurts for obvious reasons, and I don't want to add another reason to that list."

 

As a confused look crossed his face, he pushed past her, prying the hotel room door open, finally laying eyes on the issue that had presented itself. Letting out a sigh of frustration, he turned back towards Rose, his hand still resting on the door handle.

 

"Rossi and Prentiss are booked into the king bed suites, meaning they both only have one bed." He spoke, pausing for a moment as Rose sighed in frustration. "I guess we just have to cope for the night and we can talk to the front desk in the morning."

 

"Fine." Rose picked up her bags, heaving them into the room, staring at the lone double bed in contempt. "But I take side closest to the window."  



End file.
